Abstract
THE ROLE (SIGNIFICANCE) OF THE SYMBOLS IN TRANSFERRING THE TURKISH NATIONAL CULTURE TO NEW GENERATIONS (Example Of Transition Period Of The Birth)
In a constantly developing and changing world, the nations are trying to survive as they are. However, that does not mean that they want to remain closed towards every kind of change. As long as there is a claim that the culture is a result of needs, the change is inevitable. The culture that is shaped of needs, continues along with the traditional culture. The constant transferring of every cultural value to young generations is very close related to the future existence of the nations’ culture. The elements of the national culture, which are the basic construction of the national identity and their transfer to new individuals caused the coding and all that led to forced symbolizing.
Therefore, this way is not accidentally noticed, because the symbolization of culture increases its marks and becomes memorable, which is easier to adopt.
In this study we will focus on the importance of the folk culture in the transfer of the national identity and how the Turkish society is trying to convey it by symbolizing it.
For this purpose, the symbolic backgrounds of the cultural elements that were analyzed and in which have been taken into account some of the cultural elements of the two different branches of culture, included material and spiritual.
This study is taken from our doctoral dissertation “The Language of the Symbols in Turkish Culture”. The main subject of the study is limited with “the transition period of the birth” which takes place in the transition period of life. In the transition period of birth, symbols that are supported by the religion and beliefs play an important role in the transmission of the national culture of future generations.
Keywords
Turkish culture, symbol, tradition, birth, ground, wolf, deer, umay